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Modular nanotheranostic agents for protistan parasitic diseases: Magic bullets with tracers
No full textProtistan parasitic infections contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality, causing more than 2 billion human infections annually. However, current treatments are often limited; due to ineffective drugs and drug resistance, thus better options are urgently required. In the present context, theranostics agents are those that offer simultaneous detection, diagnosis and even treatment of protistan parasitic diseases. “Nanotheranostics” is the term used to describe such agents, that are around 100 nm or less in size. Anti-parasitic activity of nanoparticles (NPs) has been reported, and many have useful intrinsic imaging properties, but it is perhaps their multifunctional nature that offers the greatest potential. NPs may be used as adapters onto which various subunits with different functions may be attached. These subunits may facilitate targeting parasites, coupled with toxins to eradicate parasites, and probe subunits for detection of particles and/or parasites. The modular nature of nano-platforms promises a “mix and match” approach for the construction of tailored agents by using combinations of these subunits against different protistan parasites. Even though many of the subunits have shown promise alone, these have not yet been put together convincingly enough to form working theranostics against protistan parasites. Although the clinical application of nanotheranostics to protistan parasitic infections in humans requires more research, we conclude that they offer not just a realisation of Paul Ehrlich’s long imagined “magic bullet” concept, but potentially are magic bullets combined with tracer bullets
A Review of Herbal Treatment for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Infection
Get PDFFunctional dyspepsia (FD), a common gastrointestinal condition, poses significant burdens on both individuals and society. In this article, we conducted PubMed searches using specific keywords to review clinical trials focusing on conventional and herbal treatments for dyspepsia as well as the adverse effects of non-herbal treatments. Dyspepsia can be managed using proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, and antacids. Additionally, we explore Tegaserod, a partial agonist of the 5-HT4 receptor, in the context of prokinetic medications. We summarise the research supporting the effectiveness of non-herbal dyspepsia treatment, considering factors beyond acid reduction, such as the placebo effect and the variability of dyspepsia symptoms, as discussed in the section on proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medication. Unlike most pharmacotherapies targeting a single mechanism, herbal medications often contain multiple active ingredients that can address several signalling pathways simultaneously. Notable herbs like fennel, cumin, aloe vera, ginger, and licorice have documented uses in the literature. Whether derived from a single plant or a combination, herbal treatments hold promises for addressing multiple conditions simultaneously. Therefore, evaluating herbal therapy at all stages of development should adhere to the same scientific rigour applied to chemically specifi
Evaluation of S-substituted-2-mercaptobenzimidazole analogs for urease inhibitory and DPPH radical scavenging potential: synthesis, bioactivity, and molecular docking study
No full textSeveral S-substituted-2-mercaptobenzimidazole derivatives 1–34 were synthesized by reacting 2-mercaptobenzimidazole with a variety of substituted benzyl bromide and characterized with the help of various spectroscopic techniques. All synthetic compounds were evaluated for urease inhibitory and DPPH radical scavenging activities. Compounds showed significant to moderate urease inhibitory activity in the range of IC50 = 16.8 ± 0.76–74.3 ± 0.72 µM, in comparison with the standard thiourea (IC50 = 22.4 ± 0.29 µM). It is worth stating that all molecules exhibited noteworthy DPPH radical scavenging potential with IC50 values of 15.5 ± 0.58 to 89.3 ± 0.12 µM when compared with the standard butylated hydroxy anisole BHA (IC50 = 44.2 ± 0.45 µM). A structure–activity relationship (SAR) was presented by analyzing the impact of varying substitutions on urease inhibitory potential. A molecular docking study was done to streamline the binding interactions of ligands (synthetic molecules) with the active pocket of urease enzyme. In addition, cytotoxicity of the most potent compounds 1–4, 14, 18, 20, 28, and 32, was also evaluated, and all were found to be non-cytotoxic
COVID-19 Seen by Students: An Exploratory Study
No full textObjective. The aim of this article is to analyse the social representations of coronavirus in groups of young people.
Background. The COVID-19 pandemic is the first experience for most of the world's population: a new disease has emerged that is spreading rapidly across countries and continents, and humanity has nothing to counter the threat. The symbolic defences that are developed in response to this threat are the focus of the work.
Study design. The study was conducted in two time periods corresponding to the two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia (the first wave from June 18, 2020 to July 10, 2020 and the fourth wave from October 14, 2021 to December 7, 2021).
Participants. A total of students aged 17 to 27 years (N = 242 subjects, 12,5% men).
Measurements. The main method of the study was a questionnaire (the main technique – the method of free association). The questionnaire was presented in an online format.
Results. A comparison of the structure and content of COVID-19 in young people (the first and fourth waves of the pandemic) suggests the emergence of the representation of covid-19: a hierarchical organisation of elements in the case of the fourth wave.
Conclusions. In the case of a COVID-19 pandemic, representatives of the youth milieu adopted a position that rationalises the threat and the fear associated with it
Incorporation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 in Biology Curriculum Design: A Case Study
No full textCurriculum design needs to be undertaken at both programme and subject level. The programme structure needs to enable the graduates to also acquire integrative biotechnology laboratory skills and employability skills. Module-specific knowledge and skills are essentially important, but they are meaningless on their own. This paper focuses on the review of one subject, i.e. BIO 2134 Instrumental Analysis, with the aim of examining the targets in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 - particularly Target 4.4 on increasing the number of people with relevant skills for financial success (employability skills), and Target 4.7 on education for sustainable development and global citizenship – and how they can be better achieved. We focused on the learning outcomes (LOs), assessments, and teaching and learning activities. First, we refined the 4 LOs to 3 to reduce overlaps and repetitions, as well as to improve students’ assessment workload. Secondly, we expanded the scope of one of the assessments by including the element of entrepreneurship into the research proposal. The study can provide very useful information for a larger scale review of the curriculum redesign to probe if similar changes can be done for other modules in the programme to be aligned with the SGDs agenda and its action of framework
When the levee breaks
No full textAS last year’s seasonal floods were not as devastating to the Klang Valley as in the year before, people were able to usher in 2023 with events and festivities across the greater Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area.
Since my experience of the 2021 floods, I have become anxious whenever I see heavy clouds in the sky. I was among the many who were stranded in Shah Alam on December 18 that year
Charting Malaysia's rock history
No full textTHE past couple of weeks have been a great journey for me, digging deeper into the social history of music making in the region.
Aside from my own contributions – I recently published an academic book chapter on the Chinese-language underground music scene (that I co-wrote with my fellow musician-academic partner-in-crime Adil Johan) and presented a performance lecture at a recent popular music studies conference in Penang – the informal interactions that orbit these events are just as equally important
Malaysian music in Malaysian cinema
No full textMALAYSIAN cinema and music are often discussed in isolation, as if they exist in separate worlds. The truth is, the film and music industries are joined at the hip.
The feature film, “Hungry Ghost Diner”, directed by Cho We Jun and produced by Benji Lim, attempts to buck this trend. Starring singer Chen Keat Yoke, the film premiered last week. Due to the local bias for imported blockbusters, this is likely its final week at the cinemas so go watch it now.
This film is a notable addition to the collection of Malaysian movies that use local music to tell a story. A Malay song also appears in the film not just as background but as a narrative tool
Development of Next Generation Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern
Get PDFSARS-CoV-2 has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 673 million infections and 6.85 million deaths globally. Novel mRNA and viral-vectored vaccines were developed and licensed for global immunizations under emergency approval. They have demonstrated good safety and high protective efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain. However, the emergence of highly infectious and transmissible variants of concern (VOCs) such as Omicron was associated with considerable reductions in the protective efficacy of the current vaccines. The development of nextgeneration vaccines that could confer broad protection against both the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain and VOCs is urgently needed. A bivalent mRNA vaccine encoding the Spike proteins of both the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain and the Omicron variant has been constructed and approved by the US FDA. However, mRNA vaccines are associated with instability and require an extremely low temperature (−80 ◦C) for storage and transportation. They also require complex synthesis and multiple chromatographic purifications. Peptide-based next-generation vaccines could be developed by relying on in silico predictions to identify peptides specifying highly conserved B, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell epitopes to elicit broad and long-lasting immune protection. These epitopes were validated in animal models and in early phase clinical trials to demonstrate immunogenicity and safety. Nextgeneration peptide vaccine formulations could be developed to incorporate only naked peptides, but they are costly to synthesize and production would generate extensive chemical waste. Continual production of recombinant peptides specifying immunogenic B and T cell epitopes could be achieved
in hosts such as E. coli or yeast. However, recombinant protein/peptide vaccines require purification before administration. The DNA vaccine might serve as the most effective next-generation vaccine for low-income countries, since it does not require an extremely low temperature for storage or need extensive chromatographic purification. The construction of recombinant plasmids carrying genes specifying highly conserved B and T cell epitopes meant that vaccine candidates representing highly conserved antigenic regions could be rapidly developed. Poor immunogenicity of DNA vaccines could be overcome by the incorporation of chemical or molecular adjuvants and the development of nanoparticles for effective deliver
Physical, optical and thermoluminescence properties of lithium aluminum borate glass co-doped with Dy2O3
No full textThe present study aimed to evaluate the physical, optical, and thermoluminescence (TL) properties of Li2O–Al2O3–B2O3 as a function of adding Dy2O3 dopant concentrations varying from 0.0 to 0.8 mol%. The glasses were produced through the melt-quenching technique. The optimal concentration of Dy3+ ions for the 4F9/2 → 6H11/2 and 4F9/2 → 6H15/2 transition was found to be at 0.8 mol%. The glassy nature of the quenched samples was confirmed by the XRD pattern. All samples have been subjected to measurements of various physical properties, including density, molar volume, Polaron radius, inter-nuclear distance, ion concentration, and field strength. The most optimal sample exhibited exceptional linearity within the dose range of 0.5–5.0 Gy during gamma irradiation. The un-doped and Dy3+ doped glasses exhibited a linear correlation coefficient of 0.446 and 0.995, respectively, while their tissue-equivalent effective atomic numbers were 7.4 and 10.5. Over the course of a month, the glasses exhibited a fading rate of only 15%. After being exposed to 3.0 Gy of gamma rays, the samples for minimum detectable dose and reproducibility were examined. The kinetic parameters of the glasses under investigation, such as activation energies and kinetics orders, were determined using the peak shape method. According to the findings, the sample that contained 0.8 mol% of Dy2O3 exhibited exceptional thermoluminescence characteristics, indicating its potential as a dosimeter for measuring exposure to ionizing radiation